


Monsters Among Us

by Advocaat



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-21
Updated: 2016-06-01
Packaged: 2018-04-05 09:48:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4175289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Advocaat/pseuds/Advocaat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post AC and DoC. Rogue monsters were one thing. They could handle that. But a rogue teammate... Nobody wanted to think of it. Trouble is brewing, and at the center of it is a person most unexpected. Yuffentine.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. You say that things change

Chapter 1

_You say that things change_

 

Evenings in Nibelheim were chilly—as could be reasonably expected from a town situated in the mountains. This was particularly true in winter, when dry snow blustered parallel to the ground and the wind howled through the mountains. Being in such a town, it seemed that all warmth bled out of the world when the sun sank behind the craggy Nibel peaks. Wise folk—such as the denizens of this small northern town—knew to remain indoors once twilight fell. Children learned early the perils of venturing out after dark in a land where the weather killed without discrimination. Yes, evenings in Nibelheim were chilly, which was the reason Vincent Valentine was currently trudging through ankle-deep snow on the outskirts town, peering through icy gusts of swirling powder for signs of an underdressed ninja.

It had been nearly a week since Avalanche had been called together to discuss a growing concern pertaining to certain species of fiends' peculiar spike in aggression of late. Reports had been pouring into the WRO detailing sudden and unprovoked monster attacks all across Gaia. The reports seemed to indicate a westward trend to this behavior; first starting in North Corel but aggravating near Nibelheim. According to Cid, the area around Rocket Town fared even worse, and the entire town had been put under lockdown in order to defend against disturbingly coordinated attacks by groups of Twin Brains. Cloud and Reeve had made plans to mobilize as much of the team as possible to uncover the source of this wave of seemingly unprovoked insanity but reaching their old teammates was made difficult by the chaos.

Marlene and Denzel had been left in the care of Barret and Elmyra in Corel where they would be kept safe while Cloud and Tifa joined by Nanaki and Vincent attempted to reach Cid, who'd taken charge in Rocket Town managing the quarantine. The group had tried several times to contact Yuffie via PHS but failed to reach her. Assuming that she was wrapped up in obligations to Wutai, they had just about given up hope on recruiting her aid when they stumbled upon her quite accidentally midway between North Corel and Nibelheim looking somewhat dazed from travel and frequent battles—and a tad thinner than usual, Vincent had quietly noted—but otherwise perfectly healthy. The group was currently occupying Nibelheim's only inn as they waited for the blizzard to let up enough to allow them safe passage through the mountains.

When Yuffie had abandoned the inn to go exploring—a term vague enough that coming from Yuffie it certainly promised less of its proper implication and more mischief—about an hour before sundown nobody had given the declaration a second thought. Nobody save for a black clad gunman who'd taken vigilance by the inn's only door earlier in the afternoon. Normally, such a departure by the team's flighty ninja wouldn't have provoked any consideration save for a quick inspection of the pockets to make sure she wasn't absconding with anything of value, but something about their cheerful friend wasn't sitting right with the quiet gunslinger.

Ever since they'd found her Vincent couldn't help but feel that something about Yuffie was...off. She hadn't been herself since they'd discovered her in the field. Not answering her phone wasn't terribly strange for her, she was a ninja after all, and ninjas didn't stop to answer their mobiles in the middle of stealth missions, but Yuffie rarely failed to return their calls, even if only for the opportunity to gloat about whatever she'd been stealing at the time. Maybe that had been his first hint that something wasn't right with his young friend. Since then, everyone had noticed that she seemed oddly subdued. She was still the same quirky Yuffie, but...toned down. Her typical inane chatter was less frequent and lasted only a fraction of the time it usually would. She spent long periods of time lost in thought, only speaking when spoken to. She'd also exhibited an unusual ferocity in battle that certainly hadn't been present before. Vincent had begun to quietly wonder if something had happened in the time since they'd seen her last, but he'd kept his musings to himself. A quiet Yuffie was a more pleasant Yuffie to share space with, after all.

After trying and failing to ignore his unease concerning this—it didn't help that she'd left without bothering to grab any sort of protection from the elements—Vincent excused himself to look for her.

Nibelheim was not a large town by any measure; not even containing a materia shop. Since there was little of interest to a character such as Yuffie, Vincent did only a brief sweep of the place. As expected, the energetic thief was not in the town and nobody he asked could recall seeing here. However, it was because this town was small that the list of places where the ninja might go was very short. If Yuffie wasn't within the village then she was outside of it, which left only three places to search; the mountains, the reactor, and the mansion. While the reactor was her best bet for finding uncommon materia, Vincent's instincts told him she wasn't there. Venturing into the mountains at this time of night, during a storm no less, was foolish and Vincent was confident Yuffie could ascertain that much for herself. The mansion, on the other hand, was where the team had found the Odin materia. And him _,_ he tacked on as an afterthought. Perhaps Yuffie thought that after Deepground's infiltration there might be something of interest left for her to uncover there.

During the several months since Omega's defeat, Vincent had returned to Shinra Manor once to make his peace with the place. He'd actually considered restoring it with all the extra gil he'd acquired during his travels, however the present situation had put this idea on hiatus. Now, the quiet ex-Turk found himself trekking up the familiar path far sooner than he'd expected when he left to meet the others in Kalm five days prior. He wondered, assuming he ever did get around to restoring this old mansion, if his on-and-off comrades in Avalanche would visit him here. Cloud and Tifa might, should they ever feel inclined to visit their former home, and Yuffie would with certainty—often and uninvited, he anticipated.

Yuffie could be stubborn, loud, sneaky, conniving, and grating and she was somewhat eccentric and materialistic, but she was loyal—despite her penchant for theft—and she cared fiercely for her friends... among which she counted him, for reasons he couldn't fathom. Though he'd been cold and even downright cruel to her in the past in order to keep her at a distance, she hadn't given up trying to befriend him. The day she left him in peace was the day Sephiroth turned over a new leaf and Aerith returned from the lifestream. And yet...at some point between having his possessions stolen for the fortieth time and rescuing her from Nero's darkness her frequent intrusions into his personal life had stopped bothering him. He couldn't pinpoint just when it was that being in her company no longer made him desire to swiftly exit the vicinity of her person...the point when her incessant cajoling ceased to anger him. Perhaps it happened at the same time that he finally realized that her abrasive behavior was anything but selfish. She honestly wanted him to be happy, and if tearing him to pieces mentally, emotionally, and even physically was what it took, she would happily pluck a freshly sharpened kunai from her sock and carve the brood straight from his body.

He supposed that was the real reason he was out here in the cold searching for the absent ninja when he could be inside by the fire trusting her to take care of herself. She was his friend and he was worried about her.

Vincent's breath formed a white cloud in front of him as he approached the entrance to the old manor. The worn building remained just as he'd left it, the only difference being the fresh footprints still partially visible just before the entryway where they were somewhat sheltered from the still heavily falling snow. That answered the question of where his young comrade had gone. Vincent pushed open the heavy wooden doors of Shinra Manor and stepped quickly into the darkness beyond. He brushed the snow from his shoulders and glanced around the foyer, his enhanced eyes adjusting quickly to the inky darkness. Now that he'd entered the building, he knew without quite knowing that Yuffie was near.

Inside the mansion was barely warmer than out; the only real difference being the absence of the raging snowstorm. Even without the buffeting winds that could still be heard via the groans and creaks of the aged structure, the chill was hellish. Yuffie was not dressed for these temperatures.

Vincent's worry grew as he peered around the large entrance hall. He could feel the chilly air seeping into his bones despite his modified body, heavy cloak, and thick leather garments. Just how long had Yuffie been here in this monster infested mansion clad only in shorts and a sleeveless top? Sure, the young ninja could be careless, but she'd never struck him as suicidal. Perhaps he should've accompanied her earlier. Or followed her, at least.

He knew he was being unreasonable. Yuffie was old enough to handle herself and had never needed anyone's company However, her recent change of behavior had him questioning her current state of mind. If she was distracted by something, who could tell how it would affect her decision making ability?

Vincent started as a sudden, single musical tone broke the silence, sounding from deeper within the mansion. The note was soon followed by several others and Vincent realized that he was hearing a scale on the manor's old piano. Barring the unlikely event that the monsters residing in the house had discovered an appreciation for music while he was away, Vincent now knew the whereabouts of his missing comrade. He also noted as an aside that the notes _te_ and _re_ seemed to be back in working order. He felt part relief and two-parts annoyance that Yuffie had been busying herself fixing pianos while he worried himself into a state of near-panic over her safety.

As he traversed the entrance hall, the notes started again and Vincent was somewhat surprised to hear them come together into an actual melody. The gunman had never pegged Yuffie as the type who would bother herself with a venture as stuffy and humdrum, as she'd likely label it, as learning an instrument. But then, she _was_ a princess, he mused. He supposed it wasn't uncommon for a woman of her station to dabble in the arts.

However, it soon became clear that the player had a touch more experience than mere dabbling. Despite a slight tremor from understandably frozen fingers, the light melody was fluid in a way that suggested proper training. Vincent crept nearer to the door that separated him from his teammate, suddenly cautious of disturbing her. He grasped the doorknob and turned it slowly, opening the old, creaky door as quietly as he could.

“ _Snow can wait. I forgot my mittens_.”

Yuffie's voice nearly scared Hellmasker out him.

“ _Wipe my nose, get my new boots on_.”

She was singing. A simple tune that complemented her playing. Vincent noted that Yuffie had moved the piano so that it was now situated at the back of the room, near the tall windows that displayed the storm raging beyond the glass. The violent winter outside drew interesting parallels to Yuffie's lyrics as she continued to sing, not yet noticing the man standing uncertainly not ten paces from where she sat.

“ _I get a little warm in my heart when I think of winter,_ ” she sang. Her voice was light, but there was a feeling of heaviness in the melody. Or perhaps it was in the way she played it. “ _I put my hand in my father's glove._

Vincent stood deathly still so as not to catch her attention. His lips pulled into a frown as he continued to listen.

“ _I run off w_ _here the drifts get deeper._

_Sleeping Beauty trips me with a frown._

_I hear a voice. “You must learn to stand up for yourself,_

_Because I can't always be around."_

Yuffie's voice trembled. Her next few words were almost a whisper.

“ _He says, when are you going to make up your mind?_

_When are you going to love yourself as much as I do?_

_When are you going to make up your mind?_

_I tell you that I'll always want you near._

_You say that things change, my dear.”_

Yuffie's voice and playing came to an abrupt halt as she caught sight of his reflection in the polished lacquer of the piano. Vincent felt a pang of frustration toward himself for foolishly interrupting her song.

Walking around to the front of the piano, he was finally able to see Yuffie's face. He could see her shock at being caught, but what immediately drew his notice was moist sheen in her eyes. A quick – over of her person also revealed an alarming paleness in her lips and her fingers that still hovered just over the keys.

“Vincent...” she started, but trailed off and wiped her eyes instead, trying to salvage what dignity she could.

Vincent unclasped his heavy cloak and draped it over her smaller shoulders. This seemed to shake her out of her silence.

“Ah! Sorry,” she apologized, her usual cheerful tone returning. “I was just wandering around the mansion when I noticed the piano and I haven't played one such a long time and I just thought that maybe I should fix it up and–”

“Yuffie,” Vincent cut through her rambling with a serious tone, “Just what were you thinking, coming all the way out here dressed so inappropriately?”

Yuffie's expression turned sheepish. “My materia senses were tingling?” It was the worst lie he'd ever heard coming from her. “What about you, Vinners?”

Vincent awarded her with a look that was flatter than normal. “My Yuffie senses were tingling.”

There was a moment of silence in which the two simply stared at one another. Then Yuffie grinned widely and gave him an impressed look. “Look at you, Vince! That was almost humor.”

“Come, Yuffie,” he said, ignoring her jab. “Let's return to the inn and warm up. I can't help but find these conditions less than optimal, particularly now that you have my cloak.”

Yuffie nodded and hopped off the bench, following him from the room.

oO0Oo

 Cloud and Tifa were the only ones still awake when the pair returned to the inn.

“Yuffie!” Tifa rushed to the door and fussed over the younger girl, batting snow off her back and shoulders and brushing it from her hair. “What were you thinking, going out in the dead of winter dressed like that! You need to take better care of yourself. Thank Shiva Vincent found you!”

“I'm fine, Tifa,” Yuffie insisted. “I just lost track of time. And it wasn't snowing when I left.”

“We're in the mountains, Yuffie,” Cloud chimed in. “Even you know how unpredictable the weather is up here.”

“You didn't seem to mind when I left,” Yuffie huffed, moving to sit by the fireplace.

Tifa handed her a steaming mug of something that smelled heavenly before retorting. “We didn't realize you were so ill prepared. Really, Yuffie, you lived on your own for how long before we met you? I would've thought you'd have more sense,” she chided.

Yuffie hung her head slightly, her shoulders bowed. “I'm sorry, guys. I wasn't thinking.”

Tifa sat beside her and threw her arms around the girl's shoulders. “Don't be sorry. I didn't mean to sound so harsh. I know you can take care of yourself... I just worry. You know how I get.”

“It's true,” Cloud offered from behind the couch. “There was this one time last year when I left her for fifteen minutes to buy groceries and she went totally nuts! She called up everyone in the neighborhood and wrote depressing poetry, and—” Cloud was silenced by an expertly executed smack in the head courtesy of Tifa.

“Like hell, Cloud. That never happened.” Tifa turned back to Yuffie. “He's just sore because nobody even noticed he was gone.” This comment earned a rather undignified noise from Cloud, but he offered no more peanut-gallery input.

Vincent just watched from where he was left forgotten by the door. Cloud, he noticed, had made a great emotional recovery since his second battle with Sephiroth almost two years past. According to Tifa, he had completely returned to his old self with the added bonus of having outgrown a bit of his shyness. The gunman was happy for his friend. Observing Cloud now, the shadow of grief gone from his eyes and his whole manner lightened as though he no longer carried the weight of ghosts, it seemed to Vincent that sins could, in fact, be forgiven. Watching his comrades interact, Vincent almost felt that perhaps, together with these people, it might just be possible for him as well to regain some semblance of the man he once was.

“I appreciate your concern, guys, and you're right. I'll buy a jacket tomorrow morning. Wouldn't wanna catch a cold in the middle of a mission.” Yuffie placed her empty mug on an end table and made a show of yawning, stretching her arms over her head. “That said, I think I'll call it a night. Early thief gets the loot and all that.”

Yuffie hopped up and gave them all a small wave before practically skipping to the stairs. Vincent waited for her to ascend the steps to the second floor before stepping forward and addressing the others.

“Yuffie...hasn't been herself lately.”

As usually happened whenever he decided to speak up, all eyes in the room turned on him. Vincent fought the urge to shift uncomfortably. Cloud cocked his head slightly. “How do you mean?”

“She seems,” Vincent paused as he chose the right word, “...unfocussed.” He decided against revealing her behavior in the mansion. Her hobbies were her own, and if she didn't feel like sharing them, he wasn't going to either.

“I understand what you're saying, Vincent.” Tifa looked thoughtful. “She's probably under a lot of stress right now.”

This piqued Vincent's interest and he shifted his gaze to Tifa. He hadn't heard about anything of particular interest happening in Yuffie's life of late.

“You know how she was helping me with the bar...” the fist-fighter started, shifting her weight and grasping one of her elbows. Her lips had pulled into a small frown. “Well, her father called her back to Wutai about a month ago. She didn't say why, but I'll bet it has something to do with her duties as heiress. All that's been put on hold, of course, what with all the monsters gone mad. Not even Wutai can ignore this situation.”

“I see.” Vincent crossed his arms and looked down at the polished wooden floor contemplatively. “Has she said anything about what might have happened during the time she was there?”

Tifa shook her head, her long dark hair swishing heavily behind her as she did so. “No... I did ask her, but...” The young woman's frown deepened. “She was a little evasive about the topic and I chose not to pry.”

Vincent's eyebrows furrowed. Could it be that something was going on that Yuffie wasn't telling them about? He would prefer to think that the young ninja trusted them enough to be open with them about things that were troubling her, but he also had to remember that they hadn't exactly treated her in a way that would inspire trust and openness. They were all a little ashamed of the way they'd brushed her off after returning to their lives post-meteor. No, not brushed off—blatantly ignored. Yuffie had tried to reach out to them and they'd deliberately snuffed her. Especially him.

All of them claimed to be Yuffie's friends, but they'd only ever reached out to her when they required something of her. How many of them had they seen Yuffie's name on their phone's caller ID and ignored her? Cloud, for a certainty, and Vincent more times than he could count. Even Tifa had, though she'd admitted to feeling incredibly guilty after finding out that Yuffie's call had pertained to the stigma in Wutai and had been made in urgency. Since coming together to battle the remnants of Sephiroth, everyone had made an effort to stay in better contact with each other and be more receptive toward Yuffie whenever she sought out their company, but if she still felt wary about confiding in them or felt her place in their group wasn't as sure as it could be, who could really blame her?

“I too have noticed that Yuffie has been behaving somewhat atypically these past few days,” Nanaki spoke up, regarding the group with his single eye. “Perhaps we should talk to her tomorrow. In the case that she is quarreling with Godo again, we may be of some help.”

The present members of Avalanche shared gestures of agreement. Feeling the matter sufficiently attended to, Vincent nodded to everyone and turned to the stairs. “Then if you'll excuse me, I'm going to retire for the evening.” With that, he too ascended the steps and headed for the room her shared with Cloud and Nanaki.

oO0Oo

It was past midnight. Vincent lay in his bed, not sleeping, but not entirely awake either. His body required little rest so he often spent his nights dozing in a kind of limbo, letting his thoughts wander. Chaos was gone, returned to the Planet, and Vincent finally felt at peace in his own mind. Death Gigas and Hellmasker bothered him infrequently, and Galian Beast only ever stirred when he was under a great deal of stress. As he lay, Vincent amused himself by listening to the soft noises of the night. Muffled skittering sounds spoke of mice in the walls. A small shuffling registered at the edges of his senses; someone was moving in the next room. Likely one of the girls getting up to use the restroom. Light sniffles could be heard from down the hall; a little boy with a cold. The wind still howled outside, blowing against the inn's sturdy frame.

Minutes passed as Vincent lay in suspended animation, but the telltale creak of the stairs' loose seventh step reminded Vincent that someone was up and about and that the room next to his was suspiciously quiet now. Warning bells went off in his mind and his Galian-enhanced senses registered a shift in the inn's atmosphere. A kind of pressure was building in the air accompanied by a sense of urgency. Vincent forced himself into a state of alertness and silently slipped out of bed. If he were Nanaki, his hackles would be up and his ears would be standing at attention above his head.

Vincent donned his boots and cloak and made is way down the stairs, carefully avoiding the creaky seventh step as he slipped noiselessly into the lobby.

oO0Oo

She didn't know where she was going. She didn't even know where she was. She remembered warmth and a soft bed...but she'd left. Why did she leave? Her head felt uncomfortably warm. Her body ached. She was freezing. Harsh winds ripped at her hair and clothes and snow was piling up around her legs. She had to keep moving. She couldn't afford to stop here. Darkness swam at the edges of her vision, but she picked up her feet and trudged on into the endless dark.

“Hey, are you okay?”

The voice was gentle, but she knew she couldn't trust it. These creatures knew only destruction and greed.

“Miss?”

She growled low in her throat. She should hurt it. Yes, she should hurt it for what it had done. It should suffer. It needed to pay. If it didn't pay, then where was the justice in the world?

“Tom, I think she's ill. Come over here and help me.”

Another voice joined the first. “Poor girl. Wonder what she's doin' all th'way out here...? An' in the middle'uh the night, too.” The owner of the second voice made to grasp her shoulder. His mistake. The moment his hand brushed her bare flesh she let out a feral shriek and flung her hands up to claw at the man's face. “Agh! Vic, hold 'er down!”

The first man attempted to restrain her but she was quick. She sprung away from both men, hissing and snarling. Remembering the weapon strapped to her back she pulled the large blade free with her right hand. Now they would suffer. Now they would understand what they'd done!

“Shit, Tom! She's crazy!”

_Kill._ Red bled into her vision as she watched the two men try to flee. _Kill._ She pulled back her arm, muscles coiling, preparing to launch her lethal tool. _Kill!_ But just as she began to fling her arm forward her progress was halted with an angry scream of steel on steel. The two men took advantage of her confusion and fled.

“Yuffie! Control yourself,” a cool, masculine voice came from an area near her head and she sensed an enormous power behind this man's tone. Her head pounded and she dropped her shuriken. It slid down the barrel of a massive gun before sticking into the snow with a muffled thud.

She made to lunge for the weapon but a sharp blow to the back of her neck caused her eyes to roll back in her head and she fell limply to the ground.

 


	2. Strike at Midnight

Chapter 2

_Strike at Midnight_

Tifa, Cloud, Nanaki, and Vincent stood silently around the bed on which Yuffie lay, each trying to think of something to say.

Cloud, Nanaki and Tifa had been slumbering soundly when Vincent returned to the inn hauling the unconscious ninja over his shoulder. Tifa was woken first and quite abruptly as Vincent rushed into her room and immediately cast Fire in the hearth. Seeing her companion's distress, the groggy beauty had quickly disentangled from her covers and helped Vincent get the frozen ninja situated close to the blaze. Without a word, she'd then rushed to the boys' room to wake Cloud and Nanaki. Only after Yuffie was deemed sufficiently warm by both Tifa and Nanaki had the prone ninja been relocated to her bed.

Now, bleary-eyed and confused, the Nibel couple and large feline waited for someone to speak. Cloud elected himself for the task and asked the question on everyone's mind. “Vincent, what happened?”

The tall gunman was silent for a moment as he contemplated how to answer. Truthfully, he had no idea what had happened. It didn't make any sense. Why would Yuffie attack strangers? Why had she left the inn in the first place? He couldn't fathom an answer to either question. The look in Yuffie's eyes when he'd found her had been nothing less than feral. Had she snapped? Was she ill?

Gods, that was a scene he had feared would play out with himself, never Yuffie.

“I found her on the edge of town fighting with two of the locals,” he finally replied, squaring his jaw behind the collar of his cloak as his eyes flicked to the still ninja.

Tifa clenched her fists in righteous fury. “They didn't hurt her, did they?”

“No,” he quickly responded before the fist-fighter could get too worked up. “Quite the opposite. She nearly slaughtered them."

Tifa's fists unclenched and her expression turned confused. The look was mirrored by Cloud who turned on the tall gunman with a frown.

“Harming humans is unlike her,” Nanaki chimed in.

“What on Gaia did they do?” the ex-Soldier asked incredulously.

“Absolutely nothing, as far as I could tell,” Vincent answered. “They approached her out of concern, but when they tried to help her she lashed out at them.”

“ _Something_ must have happened,” Cloud defended. “Yuffie wouldn't attack someone without reason.”

Vincent stared his friend down. “I sensed no hostility from either man, nor were they carrying any weapons or materia. I'm reluctant to say this, but Yuffie's actions tonight are entirely unexplainable.”

Cloud'd eyes narrowed and his mouth set in a grim line. He and Tifa shared a worried look.

“You're sure she was going to hurt them?” Nanaki asked, looking up at the gunman. Vincent could practically see the wheels turning behind his good eye.

“She had her Conformer poised to kill and I sensed unrestrained murderous intent from her. There is little doubt in my mind that she would have ended their lives had I not intervened.”

There a long moment of silence as the group digested Vincent's words. Off to the side, a log cracked in the hearth. Everyone's faces showed their worry. Rogue monsters were one thing. They could handle that. But a rogue teammate... Nobody wanted to think of it.

Tifa was the one to break the silence this time. “Vincent, you never explained why she's unconscious. Did you cast sleepel on her?”

“No. There was no time for magic. I had to knock her out.”

The fist-fighter winced.

“It didn't take much,” Vincent assured her. “She was already on the edge of unconsciousness, likely from a combination of the cold and overexertion.”

As if of one mind, the group turned their eyes on Yuffie's slumbering form. Her chest rose and fell slowly and evenly but her complexion was still alarmingly pale.

“Whatever the case,” Tifa spoke again, “she must have had a reason. Cloud's right; Yuffie would never maliciously assault someone without cause. Tomorrow we can—” A loud crash interrupted the group's conversation, followed by a violent shuddering beneath their feet.

The brunette yelped in surprise as a large crack appeared in the glass of the room's single window. “What in Gaia's name...?”

An inhuman shriek from outside spurred the team out into the hallway. “Red, stay here and look after Yuffie!” Cloud ordered as he raced down the stairs followed closely by Vincent and Tifa.

The entire inn was suddenly awake and frantic. People were rushing into the lobby in a confused swarm. The innkeeper and a few large men had set themselves against the front door where loud pounding could be heard. Some of the hired help quickly organized themselves and were herding people away from the windows and door and a heavily pregnant woman was trying desperately to calm her two-year-old son. It was a picture of pure chaos that Cloud, Tifa and Vincent descended into as they hurried into the large room.

Cloud shoved his way through the madness to the door that was still being clumsily barricaded from the inside. “What's happening?” he demanded, quickly analyzing the situation.

The innkeeper grunted from his position against the heavy wood. “Fiends are attacking the town! Best get yourself away!”

Cloud turned to his companions and nodded, then faced the innkeeper again. “Let us through, we'll take care of it.”

The innkeeper eyed them incredulously from where the side of his face was pressed to the door. “You're brave, boy, but this is no time to be getting foolish ideas!”

Cloud unstrapped the First Tsurugi and drew it in front of him demonstratively. “Believe me. We can handle this.”

The older man's eyes widened at the sight of the massive sword. “Whatever you say, kid.” He threw a look over his shoulder to his companions who still struggled against the door. “Let 'em pass!”

The two other men looked at each other in disbelief before moving away from the strained wood. Cloud and the others pushed their way through the doorway and were met by a group of angry looking valron. The valron hissed and shrieked, backing away from the threat of Cloud's massive sword.

“Twin brains in Rocket Town and now valron here in Nibelheim. The situation just worsened, didn't it,” Tifa said with a sigh.

“Let's quickly take care of these ones and perform a sweep of the town,” Vincent suggested, raising Cerberus.

“Way ahead of you, Vince!” Tifa rushed to meet the hoard of monsters, fists and feet flying.

In a matter of minutes the threat at the inn was successfully neutralized and the group hurriedly split up to secure the other parts of town.

oO0Oo

Vincent's mind was only half focused on his task as he deftly put a bullet through the head of a valron that had been hiding in the shadows atop the water tower in the middle of the town. He was worried about Nanaki and Yuffie back at the inn. Nanaki could handle any monsters that broke through, but that would require leaving Yuffie. The young ninja was currently in no condition to defend herself, even if she were awake to do so, and if it came down to a choice between protecting Yuffie or the other people at the inn Nanaki would be forced to choose the latter.

Making a spur of the moment decision, Vincent turned around and hurried back to the inn, leaving Cloud and Tifa to finish purging the town.

It turned out his concern was justified. The inn was a mess. More valron had broken through and it was all Nanaki could do to keep them away from the terrified mass of people huddled at the back of the lobby. “Vincent!” the large feline called, capturing the dark man's attention as he entered. “Yuffie!”

The gunman was up the stairs before Nanaki could say another word.

Three valron surrounded Yuffie's bed. They hissed and spit as Vincent burst into the room, triple barreled gun raised and ready, however the gunman was forced to stay his hand as he took in the situation. The valron in the room had situated themselves in such a way that should he fire he ran a higher than acceptable risk of hitting Yuffie as well. _Smart beasts..._ he thought with narrowed eyes as he considered his options. He was firmly at an impasse.

Possibly the last thing the calculating gunslinger was anticipating at that moment was for one of the valron to open its reptilian maw and speak in a low hiss.

“Don't come...any clossser...demon,” it ordered, its lipless mouth twisting in a way that proved it was not built for human speech.

Vincent promptly trained his gun on the creature's forehead. “You speak?”

“Foolissh pup,” it hissed, yellow eyes narrowing. “Don't think...sso lowly of usss.”

The other two tried made a grab for Yuffie but they were halted by a menacing step forward by the tall gunman. “Don't touch her,” Vincent warned, staring unblinkingly down at them over the barrels of his gun. “Her life is not yours to take.”

The first valron's facial muscles shifted into an expression Vincent could only interpret as irritation. “Her life? You...are bold in...your ignorance. It isss not...her life we want.”

Vincent's hand did not falter. “Then what?”

“We only...wish for the return of...our beautiful princesss.” The creature's eyes flashed in challenge.

“Of what use could she possibly be to your kind?” the gunslinger continued his interrogation.

“Far more than to yoursss.”

Vincent raised his claw. “I've heard enough. Take your brothers and sisters and return to the forest. I can't promise your continued health should you refuse.”

The valron only looked amused. “Just what do you think you can do, pup? We have the princesss already in our clawsss.”

Pounding feet could be heard down the hall.

Vincent cocked his head toward the door meaningfully. “My companions are here. Your lives are forfeit.”

“Vincent!” Cloud, Tifa, and Nanaki appeared in the doorway.

The three valron hissed angrily before leaping in quick succession out though the already shattered window. The team rushed to the window and peered out through the cracked frame but the fiends had already disappeared into the darkness.

Nanaki was the first to look away. “How's Yuffie?” he demanded urgently.

“She's fine. They didn't touch her,” Vincent answered coolly, holstering his gun.

“Thank Gaia,” Tifa sighed.

“How is the situation in town?” the gunslinger inquired, walking back to the bed.

“Taken care of,” Cloud responded, moving away from the broken window. “The valron have been driven out.”

“We're lucky you got to Yuffie in time,” Tifa voiced, giving Vincent a grateful look.

Vincent frowned to himself as he thought about the odd and entirely unexpected conversation he'd just had. “They weren't here to kill her,” he informed his comrades, crossing his arms beneath his cloak and leaning back against the wall.

“They weren't?” Tifa looked confused. “How do you know?”

Vincent looked at each person in turn, then settled his gaze on the still slumbering Yuffie. “They told me they planned to take her with them. That she would be of better use to them than to us.”

The group looked at him disbelievingly. “They spoke?” Cloud questioned, his eyebrows furrowing.

“Yes.”

“You're sure?” the blonde soldier pressed.

“Positive, Cloud.”

Nanaki shook his head thoughtfully. “Fiends capable of language. I never suspected such a thing was within the realm of possibility. This is quite an interesting development.”

Cloud ran his fingers through his unruly golden locks. “It sure is. More interesting than I was prepared for.”

Vincent watched the unconscious ninja breathe evenly on the bed and his fingers tightened over his elbows. For reasons he couldn't fathom, the valron had sought out Yuffie in particular. They wanted her. But why? He hadn't the faintest idea what monsters would require from a Wutain heiress. Last he checked, fiends cared nothing for politics. More perplexing was the creature's use of the possessive—our—as if they held some sort of claim over the girl. Far be it from Yuffie to associate with fiends in any circumstance other than putting a shuriken through them swiftly and with great accuracy.

The wheels turned in Vincent's head as he puzzled through the issue, putting the pieces together in his head. Sudden and unexplainable attacks on human settlements; fiends capable of speech; a specific target... An idea began to form in the gunslinger's mind, and the more he thought about it the more likely it was beginning to seem.

“Cloud,” he spoke, regaining the group's attention. “How much merit would you give the possibility that the fiends are acting under orders?”

Cloud's eyebrows rose and Nanaki's ears perked up. The ex-Soldier brought a contemplative hand to his chin. “I hadn't considered it, but it's a compelling explanation,” he answered, his bright blue eyes meeting Vincent's seriously.

“I agree,” Nanaki voiced his opinion and Tifa nodded.

Cloud's eyes flashed to each member of the group and he nodded. “We'll need to run the idea by Reeve. See what he has to say.”

Vincent nodded in agreement. “He'll want to start an investigation as soon as possible.”

“In the meantime,” Cloud continued, “I suggest we all get some rest. We can discuss this further tomorrow.” Sharing a look with Tifa, he added, “I'll talk to the innkeeper about getting a new room for you an Yuffie.”

oO0Oo

The group decided to leave Nibelheim early the following morning, as it was unanimously agreed that the sooner they reached Rocket Town, the better. Even though they'd found a lead in Nibelheim, Cloud felt the group was too undermanned to tackle it as they were. They hadn't intended to stop in the town for more than a night and they weren't well enough equipped for a goose chase through the mountains. Moreover, they were urgently needed in Rocket Town and they couldn't afford to waste time.

The night's attack had sent everyone into high alert, meaning that sleep came slowly and the party, sans Yuffie, felt less than rested when the sun rose the next morning. Tifa was still in their shared room packing up her and Yuffie's things when the ninja finally awoke.

“Morning, Boobs,” the younger girl greeted with a yawn, startling the fist-fighter.

“Oh, Yuffie!” Tifa turned to the girl who now sat upright in her bed. “Thank goodness you're awake.”

Yuffie looked confused. “What, did I sleep in too long?” She looked out the window, noting the sun's position and scratched her head. “It can't be past six. Oh! I had a really weird dream last night. Wanna hear?” Not waiting for an answer, she continued, “I was wandering around in the snow when some gross monsters attacked me, so I pulled out my weapon to lay some serious smack down on their ugly asses when this really pretty guy comes from out of nowhere and—”

“Yuffie,” Tifa interrupted, “I'm not so sure that was a dream,” she informed her younger friend, giving the ninja a meaningful look. “Don't you remember? You left the inn last night and Vincent discovered you attacking two men on the edge of town.”

Yuffie's expression changed to one of confusion. She held up her hand and waved it at the older woman. “Whoa, Teef, you said Vince found me last night? Attacking a couple of dudes?”

“I wasn't there, but from what Vincent said, it sounded like you were delirious.”

For the briefest moment, Tifa thought she saw a look of dread cross Yuffie's face, but it was quickly masked by amusement. “Wow, crazy night, huh?”

“Yuffie,” the older woman said sternly. “Don't just brush this off like some drunken episode. Why did you leave last night?”

Yuffie shrugged. “I don't know. I don't remember going out at all.”

Tifa regarded her friend warily. Was she telling the truth? She could rarely tell when it came to Yuffie. But the younger girl had no reason to lie about this, so the older woman decided to take her words at face value. “There's more,” she continued. “After Vincent brought you back, the town was attacked by a large number of valron.”

“There was an attack?” Yuffie repeated, sounding more interested. “Last night?”

The fist-fighter nodded. “That's right. And during the chaos, some of them broke into the inn and tried to kidnap you. Vincent said they spoke to him. He said they told him you'd be useful to them.”

Yuffie cocked her head to the side, a look of bafflement appearing on her face. “Really? They talked?” The young ninja crossed her arms and legs and appeared to contemplate this. After a moment she looked up at Tifa again and said, “And you said they wanted me?”

“That's what Vincent told us,” Tifa confirmed. “Can you think of any reason why fiends would want to abduct you?”

Yuffie hummed thoughtfully. “My hot body?”

Tifa smacked her hand down on the mattress and gave the ninja a stern look. “This is serious, Yuffie.”

Yuffie held up her hands placatingly. “I don't know, Teef. I'm pretty certain I don't have anything a bunch of monsters would be interested in.” Giving the other girl a wink, she added, “Unless I stole it from them.”

Tifa sighed and rubbed the spot between her eyebrows. “You really have no idea? None at all?”

Yuffie shook her head. “Are you kidding? I just woke up. This is all news to me.”

Tifa sighed again. There went their lead. “Then, do you perhaps know if there's anyone who stands to gain from kidnapping you? Vincent suggested last night that the fiends might be acting under someone else's orders.”

“From kidnapping _me_?” Yuffie repeated skeptically, giving her a look. “I'm the daughter of Godo, not some bigshot moneybags. Wutai is about as powerful and influential as _Kalm_.” She paused briefly and then added, “Probably less, actually. Kalm's got a pretty good cotton gig going.”

Tifa frowned. This was a glaring departure from how Yuffie normally spoke of her homeland. Usually the ninja could be found singing Wutai's praises, practically waxing poetic about the immense progress her country had made in the past few years. Why was she suddenly back to discrediting it?

“But,” the ninja continued, “I suppose _I_ could've done something that made someone unhappy. Risk of the trade, unfortunately. There's no telling who your average poor schmuck on the road might turn out to really be.”

Tifa made a face. “I really hope this whole fiasco _isn't_ the result of you pickpocketing the wrong guy.”

Yuffie just shrugged. “In any case, I'll let you know if anything in particular comes to mind.” Using her hands, the ninja deftly propelled herself off the bed. “But first I'm gonna grab some breakfast. Can't think on an empty stomach. You coming?”

Tifa shook her head. “I have to finish up here and then I'll come down.”

“Suit yourself.” The shorter girl gave her a salute and vanished into the hallway.

Tifa didn't see her cheerful smile turn into a grimace.


	3. Yuffie

Chapter 3

_Yuffie_

Crossing Mt. Nibel took three days with blizzards raging on and off. During that time, the group kept an eye on Yuffie, particularly the quiet gunman. Now that Vincent was paying proper attention, the full extent of his young companion's offness was becoming apparent.

There were times he'd catch her murmuring to herself and staring off into space, and sometimes she would sing softly to herself when she thought nobody was listening. She exhibited other peculiarities as well, such as her fighting style, which had definitely changed—in a way Vincent found worrying. She brought down her enemies with increased brutality, hacking away at the fiends she encountered until all that remained was a bloody mess. It unsettled him how she seemed to take a silent but morbid kind of pleasure from their battles. Afterward, however, her face would adopt a vacant, faraway look and she wouldn’t talk for long periods of time. A silent Yuffie was a troubled Yuffie, Vincent knew. He desperately wished to know what was bothering her but every attempt on his part to broach the subject was evaded.

While not as religious in their watch as Vincent, the others had kept a careful eye on Yuffie as well. They were concerned about her periodic silent episodes and noticeable lack of spirit. She still smiled and joked around for sure, but her actions were subdued. Tifa had taken it upon herself to try and lift the younger girl's mood whenever possible. She hypothesized that perhaps Yuffie's behavior had something to do with womanly issues, and the best kind of person with whom to discuss such issues was another woman.

“Yuffie,” Tifa fell back to walk alongside her quiet companion. Her determination to help her friend compelled her to keep trying to get to the bottom of her odd behavior. Reflecting on her conversation with Vincent back in Nibelheim, she decided to see if she couldn't score some information pertaining to the month Yuffie had spent back home. “How are things in Wutai? We didn't hear from you at all while you were away.”

Yuffie stared at her feet as she walked. “Everything's fine. As you know, the economy has picked up and we've regained some of our independence as a powerful nation.” Her usual chipper smile appeared as she added, “All thanks to me, of course.”

Several paces behind the girls, Vincent listened as Tifa attempted to coax Yuffie into opening up to her. He was glad for the older woman's positive presence. He knew he himself was unfit for these kinds of interactions. Cloud tried, but he was clumsy when it came to cheering people up and he often lacked tact. Nanaki was probably the best when it came to giving advice and holding meaningful conversations, but inspiring cheer was not his forte.

“How's your father doing?” Tifa fished, sounding for all the world as though she were simply curious. Vincent made a mental note to keep his guard up around the fist fighter. She was a better actor than most would give her credit for. Behind her soft, motherly veneer, Tifa was a smart and very sharp woman who, with a pretty smile and sweet tongue, could weasel information out of just about anybody.

Yuffie paused at this. “He's being...difficult,” she finally said. She kicked a small rock on the trail with the toe of her boot. “Old bastard can't do anything right.”

“He isn't forcing another fiancé on you, is he?” Tifa sounded worried. Understandably so, as Godo had tried everything in his power to get his daughter hitched in the year and a half following the geostigma scare. It was largely the reason Yuffie had begun taking on jobs for the WRO and why she had elected to stay and help Tifa with her bar after Deepground had been put down. The emperor of Wutai loved Yuffie, of course, but rules were rules and Yuffie would need to be married before she could take the throne.

“Nah,” Yuffie dismissed with a laugh. “He still tries, but he knows I won't marry someone he chooses for me.”

“Speaking of which,” Tifa smiled coyly, “has anyone caught your eye? You're a healthy teenager. I'm sure there's been a man or two.” She wiggled her eyebrows playfully.

“Aw, Tifa!” Yuffie's cheeks developed a faint rose hue.

Tifa's eyes sparkled. “Oooh! You're blushing! So, there has been!”

“What? No!” The ninja denied, waving her hands in front of her as if scandalized that Tifa would suggest that she, great and mighty ninja that she was, would be in any way less than miles above such an ailment as attraction to a male specimen of her species.

Cloud apparently had been listening as well and decided, possibly to his own detriment, to inject himself into the girls' conversation. “Yuffie likes someone? Do we know him?” he asked with interest. 

Tifa nudged her younger friend playfully. “Is he Wutain?”

Yuffie stomped her foot petulantly. “Shut up, you guys! You’re being embarrassing.”

“What's embarrassing?” Nanaki chimed in, coming up beside them. 

“Yuffie likes someone,” Cloud explained.

“No, I don't!” 

Vincent continued to listen quietly as his friends teased the blushing girl. He supposed it made sense that Yuffie would eventually find a man she fancied. She was that age. But the silent gunman couldn't help but feel a small bit uncomfortable at the thought of Yuffie dating. Perhaps he was feeling a tad protective of his young comrade. Relationships and dating were a messy business and he didn't much care for the thought of Yuffie's light being tainted by heartbreak. 

“Okay, okay,” Tifa reluctantly gave in. “If you say you don't like anyone, I'll stop pestering you about it. It's better that you don't get mixed up with men anyway,” she advised sagely. “They're all a bunch of adulterous bastards.”

“Excuse me,” Cloud interjected, looking offended. “I think it's a little unfair to say that all men are like that.”

“You're right,” Tifa conceded. “Vincent's not like that.”

The blond swordsman made a grumpy face at his childhood friend and stuffed his hands in his pockets petulantly.

“Although, I'm curious, Yuffie,” Tifa ignored Cloud and addressed the young ninja again. “What sort of guy do you go for? What's your type?” As an aside, she muttered, “I can’t believe we’ve never talked about this.”

It wasn’t so strange, Vincent thought. Until now, the group had always seen Yuffie as a child and treated her accordingly. It was just recently that any of them had begun to think of her as a woman in her own right. She’d flown right under the radar with her childish antics and reluctance to participate in conversations that approached any real depth. It was curious, now that he was thinking about it; Yuffie’s tendency to abstain from sharing her genuine thoughts and feelings with them. It occurred to Vincent for the first time that despite her affinity for chatter Yuffie was actually quite a private person.

Yuffie appeared to consider Tifa’s question for a moment and Vincent did as well. Yuffie was energetic and had a roguish personality. She'd likely be attracted to another deviant; someone quick-witted who could keep up with her youthful vigor and sharp mind. He knew that his teammates were thinking along the same lines as him when he saw Cloud share an uneasy look with Nanaki. Whatever man Yuffie chose was going to be a hell raiser, that look said. Enjoy these fleeting days of peace while you can.

So it was that Yuffie surprised them all when she put her hands on her hips, lifted her chin up high and stated with utmost surety, “I want a gentleman.”

This declaration was, of course, met with a whole menagerie of odd looks from her friends. The expressions Vincent observed ranged from perplexed to unsure to full on skeptical.

“A gentleman? You?” Cloud sounded doubtful. His eyebrows had risen in such a way that Vincent thought they might detach from his face and join his spiky yellow fringe. 

“Sure,” Yuffie said, not missing a beat. “I'm a lady, after all.” She made a show of batting her eyelashes while peering up at the group sweetly, making it hard to tell if she was being serious or mocking them.

Cloud snorted and Tifa brought a finger to her chin. Her lips pulled up into an amused smile. “Have you thought about maybe giving Reeve a ring, then?” she teased, giving the younger girl another nudge.

Yuffie crinkled her nose as if the idea of propositioning Reeve for a date were on par with opening the fridge for the first time after an extended holiday. “Naw, he's too old and stuffy.”

_Old and stuffy_ , Vincent mentally repeated, crossing his arms beneath his cloak. The motion must have caught the ninja's eye, because she looked back at him and affectionately said, “Aw, don't worry, Vince. Nobody's as old and stuffy as you.”

Vincent leveled her a withering look. “Your charm is showing,” he informed her blandly, which only caused her to laugh.

“But really, guys,” Yuffie said, now grinning, “I don't need a man. I'm the great ninja Yuffie! The single white rose of Wutai. Lugging around a boy toy would just slow me down.”

Vincent privately agreed. There weren't many men in the world who could keep up with Yuffie.

Tifa looked like she wanted to say more on the topic but she let it go, choosing instead to return to her fishing mission. “Well, if it’s not fiancé related drama then what's Godo being difficult about this time?”

Yuffie huffed and crossed her arms. “He wants me to become more serious about the succession. I told him he's still in perfectly good health and that he can suck on his own cession until he's ready to croak because I'm not going to be tied to that throne just yet. I'm only nineteen, after all.” 

Tifa smiled knowingly. “So it is about marriage.”

Yuffie sighed. “Okay, yeah, it is,” she admitted. “But it's not just that. I just...” She looked back down at her boots and her shoulders seemed to slump just a little. “I just wish he'd be honest with me,” she finished, sounding a little sad. She immediately perked back up, though, and proclaimed, “But hey! That’s that and this is this and there’s no point in worrying about some dumb fiancé that I’m not even going to marry. We’ve got a _real_ problem on our hands, here.”

She didn't say any more after that no matter how much Tifa prodded. 

oO0Oo

Yuffie was a good liar. It was a skill she’d spent many years perfecting and it was one she prided herself on. Fiancé trouble. As if. If that were her only concern she wouldn’t _be_ concerned. She knew how to work around Godo. The old oaf had no real authority over her anymore and they both knew it. No, if Yuffie did harbor a concern, it wasn’t that. Any good ninja knows, however, that a well-crafted lie usually contains a kernel of truth, and the truth was that Yuffie was, in fact, concerned about a family related matter.

No, perhaps concerned was the wrong word. To say she had an ill feeling would be more accurate. Yuffie had suspected for some time that something was happening not just to Gaia's monsters but to herself as well. She could feel its shadow stirring deep within her; past her blood and guts and bones to her very core. Try to pretend though she certainly had that the cause of her recent deviance derived from some curable affliction, she had a fairly good idea already of the real cause. And if she was being honest—something she tried to avoid as a general rule—she'd admit that she'd known all along that it was only a matter of time.

Tifa's words the morning of their departure from Nibelheim had only strengthened her postulations about just what was really afoot here, and the mere thought of it weighed down on her with a gravity that was rapidly increasing in magnitude. Because if she was correct in her assumption, she didn’t know how she was going to tell her friends. Or rather, what _could_ she tell them? Tifa would try to be supportive, Yuffie knew, but if it came down to a choice between helping her and the safety of their friends... Yuffie couldn't bear to force the sweet brunette who had become like an older sister to her to make such a decision. Or any of her comrades, for that matter. Of course, that was assuming they still accepted her after learning the truth. Vincent, at least, would probably understand, but…

Yuffie grimaced and trained her gaze ahead. No, the only people she could confide in were locked inside a pagoda back in Wutai. She couldn't push this onto her friends; not after everything she'd already put them through. But now that Avalanche had found her again there was no way they were going to just let her leave without an explanation. Not until their mission was complete. She was therefore faced with a choice: sneak away and hide like a coward and hope she could keep the monster at bay until everything was sorted—for better or worse—or help Cloud and the others find and eliminate the source of the fiends' strange behavior and potentially solve all their problems. 

The choice should be simple. Were this any other situation, Yuffie wouldn't hesitate to throw herself into the thick of it, metaphorical guns blazing, until the evil of the day was reduced to an unattractive smear of internal organs and Fire3. But this wasn't any other situation and if Yuffie stayed, there was the very real possibility that someone else would end up an unattractive smear. The only question was whether that smear would be one of her friends or herself.

It was as she was contemplating this that a tall, crimson clad figure fell silently into step beside her, the hem of his cloak sweeping just above the frosty ground and kicking up small swirls of dry powder. Yuffie peeked up at his face and saw that his eyes were focused ahead, not sparing even a brief glance at the girl he flanked, but Yuffie knew him well enough by now to tell that he had approached her out of concern. 

“Hey, Vinnie,” she acknowledged softly and nudged him in greeting. “Worried because I haven't terrorized anyone in the past thirty minutes?”

Vincent was like a towering, slender shadow walking quietly alongside her with long, relaxed strides. He didn't say anything and Yuffie didn't expect him to. He was the type that rarely spoke unless there was something of import to say. But he always listened. Yuffie could tell he was listening right now, patiently waiting for her to tell him what was on her mind.

“Don't get your gloomy black panties in a twist. I was just kidding about you being old and stuffy,” she teased in an effort to deflect the issue she knew he wanted her to address with him.

“Yuffie...”

Vincent's deep, calm voice stating her name always shut Yuffie up. It was one of several effects he had on her. All he had to do was say _Yuffie_ in that mellow, erudite way of his and she would draw nearer to him, intent on hearing whatever it was he was about to say. After all, any utterance made with voice like Vincent's was bound to be important. Maybe that was the reason he spoke so infrequently. When you sounded like Vincent Valentine, verbalizing any thought that was less than deeply profound would just sound ridiculous. To illustrate, try imagining Vincent saying “three puffy, pretty ponies pranced off to pig out on pancakes.” You see? All kinds of wrong. Yuffie sent the stoic gunman a mental apology for having to live with such an affliction.

“If something is troubling you, your friends are there to listen.” Apparently this was today’s deeply profound pearl of wisdom.

Yuffie quirked an eyebrow at the cloaked gunslinger. “Wow, Vince. That was so hypocritical I don't even know what to say to it.”

Vincent didn’t bat an eyelash. As usual, he wasn’t bothered in the least by her backtalk. “Try, ‘Yes, Vincent. I understand and will endeavor to take advantage of my comrades' desire to help me because they are my friends and by extension harbor concerns for my physical and emotional wellbeing.’”

Yuffie blinked, for once completely silenced. She looked up at her companion just to be sure he'd actually said what she thought she’d heard him say. He met her look with his usual neutral expression.

“Are you making fun of me?”

Vincent turned his face back to the front. “That wasn't my intention.” His tone was the same as ever, but something—perhaps it was the less severe curve of his mouth as he looked away—belied him.

Yuffie felt her own lips pull up at the corners, genuine mirth bubbling up within her. The longest string of words Vincent had ever said to her and it was banter. She rewarded him with an approving nod. “Losing Chaos was good for you.”

“I'd like to think so,” he agreed mildly. Awarding her with another glance, he added, “I hope you'll give what I said some thought.” 

Yuffie frowned, a little confused by the gunman's uncharacteristic show of concern. Did he suspect that something was wrong? Was one of his freaky demonic nogginmates a mind reader? Or perhaps she was just transparent. Even Tifa had been prying more than usual, after all. The nineteen-year-old hadn't anticipated her comrades would pay so much attention to her. They never had in the past. It miffed her a little that after all the times she'd tried her darnedest to be noticed by them—only to be brushed off time and again—they'd pick now to suddenly develop an interest in her affairs.

If only she could remember what happened in Nibelheim. Tifa had told her she'd snuck out in the night and attacked two townsmen. Yuffie recalled none of it. It frightened her, hearing that she'd nearly been responsible for the murders of two innocents but being unable to summon up the incident in her mind. If she couldn't remember attacking those people, how could she guarantee that such a thing wouldn't happen again? Put simply, she couldn't, and that answer was unacceptable.

“Sure, Vince,” she agreed without revealing a hint of her internal turmoil. “After you.”

She expected silence or even some witty retort for her sass. She did not expect to feel the gentle pressure of Vincent's gloved palm as it briefly came to rest on her crown. It lingered there only for a moment before he picked up his pace and rejoined the others, leaving her to try and wrap her mind around her normally prickly comrade’s sudden and very odd increase in affection toward her.

“Well, damn. Get rid of Death Gigas and I reckon he’ll start giving hugs,” she muttered, staring after him in bemusement.

oO0Oo

Rocket Town was a mess. Not even Reeve’s grim reports had prepared Avalanche for the scene that greeted them upon their arrival the afternoon of their fourth day after departing Nibelheim. A makeshift wall had been erected around the town using vehicles and chunks of destroyed buildings. The houses and shops that still stood were cracked and shredded in places as though a heard of behemoths had stampeded through. It was a picture of terrifying and indiscriminate destruction and the whole group was rendered speechless upon seeing it. 

Cid, on the other hand, had plenty of voice left and he was overjoyed to see them. The team could tell because he grinned like an unshaven hyena and let loose the most impressive—not to mention creative—string of expletives probably ever uttered by anyone in the Planet’s long history. “Y’all ain’t seen shit if y’think this is bad,” he told them afterward, gesturing around at the damaged town. “We’re lucky. There’s village not four miles from here what got completely wiped off the map. Those that survived came here, ‘n we’ve been lookin’ after ‘em, but it’s a helluva grim scene. We can’t even send anyone to check on it because those damn monsters are out there butcherin’ anyone who tries to go west.” The scruffy pilot took a long drag on his cigarette and then threw harshly to the ground where he stamped it out with his boot. 

Vincent observed silently as Cloud swore and Tifa touched his arm in that gently reassuring way of hers. Nanaki wore a somber expression and Yuffie was peering around at the destruction, looking uncomfortable. Vincent himself was calm, but even he was alarmed by the severity of the situation. Reeve hadn’t been kidding when he’d said Rocket Town was in need of reinforcements. What had started as a fairly straightforward investigation into odd wildlife behavior was now looking like the first stages of a proper crisis.

“Tell me everything,” Cloud commanded, his too-blue eyes flashing with resolve. “We’re going to get to the bottom of this and we’re going to start now.”

Tifa nodded in agreement. The look in her wine-colored eyes was fierce. It was easy to tell by looking at her that she was ready to lay down some serious hurt on the fiends that had beset her friend’s town. Vincent was no longer paying attention to her or Cloud, though. Of far more interest to him was the young ninja who was now staring wistfully off to the west.

At that time, the quiet gunman had no way of predicting the harrowing chain of events that were soon to unfold. If only he could go back, he would lament later, to that moment; standing in the afternoon sun with his friends all around him, a gentle breeze ruffling his hair and hope in his heart; he might be able to avoid the terrible tragedy that, like a ninja, had already begun to encroach on them, unseen, unheard, and unnoticed.


End file.
